If the East Sphere is now recovering its understanding of "The Way" and the West is struggling to recover its understanding of "The Virtues," then what is the goal of the Digital Sphere? We believe it will be "The Spark." Neither (simply) East nor West, the Digital Sphere seeks to elevate humanity above its current – miserable in its eyes – unrelenting condition. Born out of frustration with the failure of Western progress and Eastern complacency, the Digital Sphere is impatient. It wants to harness technology to definitively transform the world, overcoming all obstacles thrown in its way. And if a hidebound humanity tries to resist – as it clearly will – then humanity itself becomes the problem. Human biology is a boat-anchor holding us back, so it must be overcome. With technology.
Technology used to improve living standards is one thing. Technology used to transform essential natures – most importantly human nature – is something quite different.
Why stop at planet earth? Crowded and compromised as it has always been. Let's go to Mars. But humans are not going to colonize Mars. Its core stopped spinning long ago, so it cannot be "terraformed" to support an atmosphere. Lacking oxygen &c, martian soil is actually toxic to the plants humans consume as food. Without air-to-breath and food-to-eat, Mars is not the place for humans. But who says that is our only option? Why not engineer something better-suited to become a "galactic species," as some have suggested? Could this be the ultimate use of CRISPR? Would an enhanced Cyborg be good enough? Or will we have to go full-on Android? Once the bonds of "mere humanity" are slipped, what's the limit? Yes – there are a surprisingly number of well-resourced people today who are asking that question and, as far as they are concerned, doing all they can to escape human limitations.
In many academic institutions, "Post-humanism" has replaced the earlier attention paid to "post-modernism" &c. Nietzsche scholars are finally getting serious about the "Uber-Mensch." This trend has combined with an earlier movement known as "Transhumanism." As one prominent explorer of this territory has offered, "Crypto is just at tool; the goal is Transhumanism." AI researcher Ray Kurweil has opined that we're all heading for the "Singularity" at which point the computational "intelligence" of machines will exceed that of humans (missing, we would claim, the simple fact that humans are not "computers"). Conferences are being held and journals are being published in support of these radically different "futures." Stanford University has taken Silicon Valley money to greatly expand its AI and related research. Proposals to extend "human rights" to robots are already being circulated. Investments are being made. Tickets are being sold.
Alchemical scene showing two putti holding philosopher's stone containing image of Hermes, below which are a man and a woman kneeling before furnace where transmutation is to take place, 1702, wikimedia commons
"The Spark" isn't a new idea. In many ways what is being retrieved by the Digital Sphere is what was previously known as Alchemy – in both the East and West. Which is why it has followers everywhere. While Alchemy is thought by many to simply be the effort to transform "lead into gold," that was never its primary goal. Instead, the "Philosopher's Stone," whatever its material effects might be, was always linked to transforming "leaden" souls into "golden" ones. Technology used to improve living standards is one thing. Technology used to transform essential natures – most importantly human nature – is something quite different. Belief that humans contain a "spark of the divine" is also ancient. It persists in many religious practices to this day, sometimes refered to as "divinization." "The Spark," like "The Way" and "The Virtues" is already being intensely pursued by large groups of dedicated humans. They have money. They have self-confidence. And they will make a big difference in our new Three Spheres world. Failing to understand these developments has already become a liability.